[Biggp07]

We signed 17-year-old CF Braylon Payne to a minor league contract with a $1,070,000 signing bonus. Defensively, he has shown significant improvement, so we need to focus on developing his hitting and plate discipline to become a potential #1 or #2 in the lineup.



So, with Braylon Payne's signing finalized, the only holdout is 17-year-old RHP Jackson Barberi. He is requesting a $650,000 signing bonus, which is $220,000 more than we initially offered him at the draft. He was our 10th round pick – 290th overall, and we were already over budget with our previous round 7 pick of Ethan Bagwell at a $650,000 signing bonus.

With all but Braylon signed, we have spent a total of $8,612,500 on draft picks, which exceeds the original budget of $8.0 million. Therefore, I think we should pass on the young stud Barberi. We won’t receive a replacement pick since he was taken so late in the rounds, but I believe we've done as well as we could have expected.

Double-A - Northwest Arkansas Naturals News

The Tulsa Drillers narrowly defeated the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, 6-5, despite the batting heroics of Northwest Arkansas left fielder Tyler Gentry. In a losing effort, Gentry had an outstanding game, hitting for the cycle. He went 4-for-5 at the plate with 5 RBIs. After the game, Gentry said he was "unfazed" by the outcome.

"Look, it's baseball," he said. "Best case scenario, you're still going to lose 40 percent of the time. You can't let it get to you."

Tyler Gentry doubled in the first inning, hit an RBI single in the third, an RBI triple in the fifth, struck out in the seventh, and crushed a three-run home run off Edgardo Henriquez in the ninth. This year, Gentry has collected 11 hits in 24 at-bats for a .458 batting average with three home runs. He reaches base at a .552 rate, and his stats also include 10 RBIs and eight runs scored.

Game Summary – July 23rd – Diamondbacks Suffer 5-2 Road Loss



Kansas City picked up a win at Kauffman Stadium, bumping off the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-2. Pitcher Daniel Lynch IV was a primary reason the Royals emerged victorious. The Royals, at 43-60, sit in last place in the American League Central Division. Kansas City took a 5-1 lead on Salvador Perez's 17th double of the season. The bases-clearing double, which Perez hit in the bottom of the seventh, left Arizona pitcher Bryce Jarvis visibly frustrated. Lynch IV attributed the win to "everyone pulling their weight."

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: Daniel Lynch IV
Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium
Weather: Clear skies (83 degrees), wind blowing in from left at 11 mph
Start Time: 7:10 PM CT
Time: 3:10
Attendance: 13479